Eastman Opera Theatre Presents a Punk Rendition of Bernstein’s “Candide” (1974 Chelsea Version)
Eastman Opera Theatre (EOT) is thrilled to present a bold take on Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (1974 Chelsea Version) from November 5-8, 2026. Based on Voltaire’s classic satire, the story follows the eternally optimistic Candide—whose belief that he lives in “the best of all possible worlds” is tested in the midst of war, romance, betrayal, and grave misfortune—and his beloved Cunegonde, who also finds herself in the grip of improbable and unfortunate circumstances.
This fast-paced, witty operetta blends sophisticated music with absurd, comedic storytelling. An ensemble cast of 21 singers will perform 67 roles, with most transformations happening right on stage. A small chamber orchestra brings “a lightness and intimacy to Bernstein’s exuberant orchestral score,” according to music director Timothy Long.
EOT’s production is vaudevillian yet contemporary, with costuming that is punk yet high-fashion—or, as director Pat Diamond puts it, “Vivienne Westwood meets the period.” The performance is a visual feast, utilizing a collage of colors, patterns, and layers that transform as the story builds. Diamond shares that “the staging allows for invention and creativity, giving each performer the opportunity to shape the space while they engage with it.”
For those who have never been to an opera, Candide serves as an excellent gateway into this world. As famed director Hal Prince stated of his Tony-winning 1974 revival, “Candide owes its origins to medieval theater, to the Globe, to commedia dell’arte. It is street theater. It is not about film. It is about live actors and a live audience.”
Eastman Opera Theatre’s performances of Candide are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday 11/5, Friday 11/6, and Saturday 11/7, with a matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday 11/8. Sung in English with supertitles, this one-act opera is double-cast and runs for 105 minutes without intermission. Due to sensitive subject matter involving violence and sexual innuendo, this opera is not recommended for children under 13.
Tickets to Candide are $20.00 for general admission. Internally, students, faculty, and staff may present their URochester ID to receive one free ticket. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street).
To learn more about Eastman Opera Theatre, please visit our website.
Enjoy this preview of “Oh, Happy We,” performed by Eastman students
Lucas Mann as Candide and Sofia Mains as Cunegonde.
Candide (1974 Chelsea Version)
November 5-7 at 7:30 p.m. | November 8 at 2:30 p.m.
Kilbourn Hall
Conducted by Timothy Long
Directed by Pat Diamond
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler
Lyrics by Richard Wilbur
Additional Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John Latouche
Produced on Broadway by The Chelsea Theatre Center of Brooklyn in conjunction with Harold Prince and Ruth Mitchell.
Broadway production conceived and directed by Harold Prince.
Candide is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
Media Only: Lauren Sageer, Associate Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About Eastman Opera Theatre:
Eastman Opera Theatre offers a comprehensive program of training and performance opportunities for the modern singer-actor. Each year, productions feature a wide range of musical styles, unusual lyric forms, and both traditional and contemporary repertoire that prepare the motivated student for the professional lyric theater world of tomorrow.
Most productions have two complete principal casts (given an equal number of performances), are fully designed, performed in the original language, and depending on the venue, use full orchestral accompaniment. Studio productions, scenes programs, and outreach events are also offered to further enhance the variety of performance opportunities. Eastman Opera Theatre utilizes both undergraduate and graduate students in all roles for all productions.
Recent and past productions include Strauss’ Die Fledermaus; Prestini and Vavrek’s Silent Light; Golijov’s Ainadamar; Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas; Davis’ Lear on the 2nd Floor; Sondheim’s Into the Woods; Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea; Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox and Les Enfants Terribles; Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza; Gordon’s The Tibetan Book of the Dead; Mozart’s Don Giovanni; and Puts’ Elizabeth Cree. EOT is committed to working with living composers and librettists. Recent production collaborators have included Anthony Davis, Adam Guettel, Jake Heggie, Paola Prestini, Gene Scheer, Ricky Ian Gordon, Kevin Puts, Steve Bramson, and Mark Campbell.
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprising more than 170 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars, and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy and EMMY Award winners, Guggenheim Fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists, and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 1,000 concerts to the Rochester community and beyond. Additionally, over 1,700 community members, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.